Body-protecting shield



Dec. 23, 1930. c. G. SNAVELY BODY PROTECTING SHIELD Filed June 20, 1929 FIG, 5

Fla, 2

Fla. 6

Patented Dec. 23, 1930 PATENT OFFICE CARL GREY SNAVELY, OF LEWISBURGj PENNSYI-VANIA V BODY-PROTECTING; SHIELD" V Application filed June 20, 1929. 7 Serial no. 372,465.

My invention relates to protective apparel for athletes and more'particularly to improvements in apparel having shields or guards of rigid material for affording greater. protection to certain parts of the wearers sired to protect those parts of the body which are most liable to injury.

The primary object of myinvention is to provide protective apparel in which rigid form fitting arched shape guard members shall efiectively shield designated portions of the wearers body;

Another object of my invention is to provide a body shield of the character designated which shall also serve as a convenient support for holding the athletes uniform in position so as to prevent the same from becoming disarranged and chafing the body during the players activity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protective belt having rigid guard members which may be adjusted relative .to the belt so that the same protective device may be worn by persons having a different size and shape. v

A further object of the invention isto provide form fitting protective apparel of the painful and serious internal character designated which shall be entirely concealed and thereby provide a football players uniform of neater appearance than present apparel now in use. g V I These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent by referenceflto the accompanying drawing and description and specifically set forth in the claims;

In the drawing p v 1 w Figure 1 is a plan view of a protective shield employing guard members construct- 5 ed and arranged in accordance with'the pres? ent invention Figure 2 is elements;

Figure 3 is a section are 2;

a plan view of oneof the guard Figure .4 is a section on line 4+4 of Fig! ure 2; Figure 5. is aview in elevation of theguard element shown in Figure 2 i .iFigure, 6 is a perspectiveview of the guard element; j p, Figure 7 is a modification of the protective shieldin which additional guard elements are employed; 7 v Figure 8 is a view in elevation of the shield shown in Figure .1; j v c, v v

Figure 9 is a detail view insection on line 9-9 of Figure 1; j j r j *i ure 10 isa view showing the application of the shield to the wearers body and supporting thetrousers; I r j Figure 11 is a similar viewshowing the application of an additional guard member; and

V Figure 12 is a view in elevation of the guard element shown in F igurell.

My invention contemplatesproviding pro- 1 tective apparel having rigid arch shaped. guard members which shall be particularly adapted for use by football players asthe,

nature of the game of football is such th at V the players frequently become disabled. by

serious. injuries inflicted to the hips and kidney portion of the body. The region of the; kidneys isa very sensitive part ofthe body and many times'a serious internalinjuryre sults from a relatively lightblowon that portion of the body because the infection spreads inwardly. An injury to the ilium or, hip bone is not particularly serious, but it is a very painful injuryand slow in healing and therefore a playerreceiving such an injury at the beginning of the football season is often prevented'from again playing the game for a long time. i I f In'the illustrated embodiment of my in- 'vention, shown in Figs- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6,

rigid arch shaped, ,or spheroid' guard members 10 are secured to a belt 11 of padded material which encircles the players waist.

- These arch shaped members are preferably in'theform of the segment of a hollow sphere V andextend horizontally on thebelt to which on line 3 3 of Fig they are attached, This belt may be made- Crl of flexible form fitting cushioning material which shall closely fit the body. The belt is covered with a non-stretchable fabric 12 so as to prevent stretching of the belt when secured to the person. The ends of the belt are connected by lacings 13 or straps 1 k as shown in Figures 7 and 8. These arched guard elements 10 are made of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material such as light metal, leather or fiber and are attached to or incorporated in the belt so as to cover the extremities of the hip bones and protect the kidneys by bridging over the region of these delicate portions. The guards 10 being in the form of a sector of a hollow sphere, have a base configuration which is curved so as to fit the wearers body, and any serious injury to these parts is effectively reduced to a minimum by preventing a direct blow to these parts by dissipating the force to the less sensitive parts of the body.

The guard elements 10 are secured to the belt by placing the same between the cushion material 11 and the outer fabric covering 12 as shown in Figure 9 and then stitching the materials around the base edge of the guard to hold it in the desired position on the belt. This manner of securing the arch shaped guards on the belt enables the protective apparel with the rigid guard members, to be fitted to the body so that the athlete may have the free and natural use of the body without the annoyance and inconvenience of bulk protectors now in use.

I am aware that protective apparel employing arch shaped guard elements has heretofore been embodied in a football players uniform for protecting the head and shoulder of the person, but my invention is directed to a hip and kidney shield employing these elements and which shall also serve as a support for holding the players other garments, such as the jersey and trousers, in proper relation.

The invention further contemplates providing a protective belt in which the guard elements may be adjusted relative thereto so that the same belt may be worn by persons of different size and shape. This result is accomplished by providing the belt with guard pockets of larger size than the guard elements, and when the belt is fitted to the body, the guards are then inserted in the pockets and located therein relative to the playersbody so as to comfortably fit .the wearer as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The guards thus being properly positioned, they are then secured in place by stitching around the base as heretofore described. If it is desired to provide the belt with guard elements which may be temporarily adjusted While the player is in action, the pockets are provided with eyelets 14 and lacings 15.

To provide for further protection to the players limbs the belt 11 may be provided with flexible extensions 16 depending from the lower edge of the belt. These extensions are also made of suitable cushion material and may be provided with pockets for guard elements as heretofore described.

The guard elements 10 may also be provided with a fabric rim 17 which shall better enable the guards to be attached to the padded material. This rim may also form a cushion if it is desired to attach the guards directly to the body of the wearer by stra 'is or adhesive tape 18 as shown in Figs. ll and 12.

The belt isalso provided with separate rigid guard members 19 for protecting the back and spinal column of the body, and these members may also be of a shape to comfortably fit the body of the wearer.

Another important feature of my inven tion is to provide a shield which shall hold the players uniform in proper position by supporting the wearers trousers and upper gar ment or jersey in proper position relative thereto so that the uniform may be comforta ble at all times and eliminate the usual annoyance experienced by athletes in apparel oi this character when the same becomes wet and disarranged during the players activity. The relation of the players belt 11, jersey 20 and trousers 21 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10. This arrangement of supporting the players trousers by means of the protective belt enables the trousers to cover and conceal the guard men'ibers and thereby provide a neat appearing uniform. The trousers, shieldbelt and jersey forming separate units, the lower portion of the jersey is secured by the waistband of the trousers engaging the rigid protruding portions of the shield. This manner of inserting the players jersey between the guard elements and the waistband of the trousers provides an effective means for preventing the players clothing "roni shifting to uncomfortable positions when the player is in action, the belt if is the only member which is secured to the body of the wearer. i

The in'iportant feature of this arrangement of the players uniform is that the guard members firmly hold the trouse s and prevent them from slipping d'rwnwz lly and binding the hips of the p d hinder his activity. Furthermore, the waistband of the trousers binds the ersey on the rigid guard members and prevents the lower extremity of the jersey working upv-Jard and becoming separated from the trousers and ezi'posing n11 players body. This arrangement of clothing has the further advantage that the guard members are entirely covered by the players apparel so to provide a neat appearing uniform which is free from all loose clothing.

The presence of loose clothing and extinxnal shields frequently enables opposing player to catch hold of these garments and stop the 1 the belt to the body.

player. A shield embodying my invention enables a football player to equip himself with a neat appearing uniform which shall be more efficient than uniforms now in use and which shall have guard members constructed and arranged to reduce individual injuries to a minimum.

While I have shown preferredembodiments of rotective a oarel havin uard' members constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A body protective apparel comprising a hip belt of'fiexible cushion material, rigid" hollow spheroidal sector shaped guard members positioned on said belt so as to cover the 7 hip portions of the body, means for securing the guard members to the belt, the base edges of said members being curved. to engage the cushion material and conform to the shape of the body at the hips and means for securing 2. In protective apparel of the character described, a hip beltof flexible cushion material, rigid spheroidal sector'shaped guard members positioned on the belt so as to cover the hip portions of the body pockets formed in the belt for accommodating individual guard members and means for securing the individual guardmember in its pocket.

3. In protective apparel of the character described, a hip belt of flexible cushion ma terial, rigid spheroidal sector shaped guard members positioned on the belt so as tovcover" to cover the hip portions of the body and support the trousers, means for securing the guard members to the. belt whereby the cushion material shall conform to the base edges of the guard members and means for securing the belt to the body of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

CARL GREY SN AVELY.

the hip portions of the body,pockets formed in the belt for accommodating individualguard members and means for drawing the pocket closed.

I. In protective apparel of the character described, the combination with a hip belt of flexible cushion material, of rigid hollow spheroidal sector shaped guard members positioned thereon, the major axes of the guard membersextending horizontally on the belt so as to cover the hip portions of the body, the base edges of the member being curved so as to, conform substantially to the shape of thebody at the hips,,and means for securing the guard members to the belt whereby the cushion material shall conform to the base edges of the guard niembers- 5. As an article of manufacture, a hip belt of flexible cushion material, rigid spheroidal sector shaped guard members positioned thereon, the major axes of the guard members w; extending horizontally on the belt so as'to cover the hip portions of the body, means for securing the guard members to the belt where-,

' by the cushion material shall conform tothe base edges of the guard members, thigh pads depending from said belt and spheroidal sec- 

